Printing Money
Final Fantasy XV: War for Eos is a familiar city-building game to those well-versed in the genre. This is because War for Eos is developed and published by Machine Zone. The same developer behind Game of War- Fire Age.
In 2015 during the Super Bowl, two mobile gaming companies started throwing money at ads. Two companies prepared for war, Supercell and Machine Zone. Clash of Clans against Game of War. Machine Zone spent $40 million on a four-month ad campaign with Kate Upton as the spokesperson and an expensive Super Bowl commercial. Machine Zone knows how to create a game that makes a lot of money. However, is Final Fantasy XV: War for Eos solely a cash grab for Machine Zone or something more?
The Mobile Uprising
You start Final Fantasy XV: War for Eos clearing debris from your city area and are met by various characters from the Final Fantasy XV world. You are introduced to building farms, quarries and mines in order to generate resources for your city. The tutorial is almost identical to Game of War, but with Final Fantasy XV characters. As in Game of War, you learn how to manage your economy and build your army. Researching technologies for your city is also a must in order to be competitive.
While War for Eos does have more similarities to Game of War than I wanted to see, the campaign for Eos is unique. You level up various characters from Final Fantasy XV like Prince Noctis and Prompto and send them out on missions. These heroes get more resources and troops after completing missions and make your city more powerful. This feature does set Final Fantasy XV: War for Eos apart from its predecessor and consequently avoids being a carbon copy of Game of War.
Your City is Breached
As with many city-building games, your city is placed on a server with other real-life players. If you don’t have a shield protecting your city other players will attack your city. You gain Shield by well, buying them with your hard-earned money or with gems. In order to stay competitive with the leaderboards you can’t afford to lose resources in this way. Unfortunately, you’re not going to earn enough gems to fully protect your city, no matter how much you play.
Monsters will also breach your city as well. However, the consequences are not dire compared to the damage players inflict on your city. Joining an active and powerful guild is the best way to learn the deeper nuances of the game. Aside from spending a vast amount of money within Final Fantasy XV: War for Eos the strategy it takes to manage resources is fun.
Only the Whales Survive
Unfortunately, microtransactions are a necessary evil for mobile gaming. Gaming companies need to make money but consequently paying to win is something that takes away from a fun experience. In the era where battle passes are a fair answer to microtransactions, I have been more unforgiving with the pay-to-win model. Final Fantasy XV: War for Eos despite the fun is a game that one needs to pay for in order to be competitive with your competitors’ cities around you.
That and the chat being riddled with bugs that makes it sometimes difficult to chat with guild members are among the worst problems with Final Fantasy XV: War for Eos. Being an avid Final Fantasy fan, I was disappointed because the potential for a solid game is here. It wouldn’t be entirely unfair to call Final Fantasy XV: War for Eos a cash grab; however, it is fun to play before you hit the game’s paywall. Perhaps a few updates and making gems easier to earn would change this. Consequently, in its current state, I find it difficult to recommend.
Is It Hardcore?
Yes, if you have money.
While Final Fantasy XV: War for Eos is fun at first, it quickly becomes apparent that paying to win is the only way to keep it fun.
